Prospect Watch: El Paso allowed three homers and went down in their first game after the All-Star break. … Centerfielder Matt Szczur made his El Paso debut and had a pair of singles. The former big leaguer was designated last week and cleared waivers. … LHP Jerry Keel started and got hit around, allowing five earned runs, including three homers. As we have mentioned, Keel has handled lefties well and that trend has continued in a small sample. In two starts with the Chihuahuas, lefties are hitting .200, while righties are hitting .444. … With his third homer in 36 games since getting promoted to El Paso, Forrestt Allday now has as many home runs for the Chihuahuas as he had in his first 357 professional games.

The Missions game was rained out in Frisco. The two teams will play a doubleheader Friday.

Prospect Watch: The Storm scored all their runs in the first inning but the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead late. … DH Jorge Oña blasted a three-run homer, his fourth of the year, in the Storm loss. Oña has had a rough year, that included a freak injury when a ball hit the foul pole and bounced into his face. The 21-year-old is hitting just .161/.238/.286 in 16 second-half games. Perhaps the homer is a sign that Oña is ready to hit up. … RHP Reggie Lawson allowed nine hits in five innings and escaped with a no-decision. Lawson was roughed up in his last start, which also came at home. Lawson has actually been much better on the road (2.93 ERA) than at home (4.12). Oddly enough, Lawson has 18 walks and 41 strikeouts each at home and on the road.

Prospect Watch: The TinCaps’ bats never got going and they lost in Cedar Rapids. … First baseman Jalen Washington had a pair of singles and drew a walk Thursday night. The 29th-rounder hasn’t lit the world on fire, but he has been a steady presence in the Fort Wayne lineup. His .344 on-base is fourth on the squad, as he has bounced back and forth between catcher and first base. … RHP Mason Thompson took the loss and was hit around a bit. The Texan allowed seven hits, including a homer. If there is a silver lining, it’s that Thompson has walked two or less batters in nine straight starts. He has averaged more than a strikeout per inning in that span. … Fourth round pick Dylan Coleman pitched a scoreless inning, walking one, with a strikeout. Coleman was recently promoted from Tri-City. Although he was a starter in college, Coleman has pitched exclusively out of the ‘pen as a pro because he threw 102.2 innings for Missouri State. The Padres will monitor Coleman’s innings this year before turning him loose in 2019.

Prospect Watch: The Dust Devils lost on the road, dropping their record under .500. … DH Owen Miller had a pair of hits, raising his average to .350. Miller has nine multi-hit games in 26 appearances. … Shortstop Olivier Basabe had a pair of hits, as the infielder continues his hot stretch. Basabe, who was drafted in the 8th-round last year, for an under-slot deal of $60,000, is hitting .405 over his last ten games. Overall, the former Faulkner University star is hitting .306/.362/.515 for Tri-City this year. … RHP Cole Bellinger struggled and gave up six earned runs in just three innings. Bellinger, still just 18, has a 6.30 ERA and hasn’t shown big velocity but has managed to average more than a strikeout per inning. At 6’1, 175 lbs., Bellinger has plenty of room to fill out and get stronger. … Competitive Balance pick Grant Little returned to the lineup after missing a little time with a minor hand injury. He collected one hit and struck out twice in the game.

Roster moves: The Padres sent former third-rounder Mason House and infielder Reinaldo Illaraza back to the Arizona League. House, 19, struggled mightily in Tri-City, hitting just .121/.288/.276, with a 44% K rate. House had strikeout issues in the AZL last year but the left-hander hit well above league average. As of now, the Dust Devils have not added anyone to the roster.

Prospect Watch: The only wins in the system game in the AZL, where three games were played. … Infielder Elvis Sabala homered, his second of the year. The 20-year-old was signed way back in 2014 and has spent the last three years in the DSL. In a limited sample, Sabala is hitting .297/.372/.541 in the AZL this season. … 19-year-old Gabriel Morales pitched well again, allowing just one hit, while striking out seven over four shutout innings. Morales, who hails from Venezuela, was signed as an international free agent in 2016. In 11.2 innings, opponents are hitting just .105 off of the southpaw. … Piggybacking with Edwuin Bencomo, 17-year-old Luarbert Arias pitched four shutout innings for the Padres-1 club. The stocky right-hander has impressed so far in his professional debut this summer, posting a 2.12 ERA in 17 innings.

Posted by Kevin Charity

Kevin Charity has written for MadFriars since 2015 and has had work featured on Fox Sports San Diego. He is a lifelong San Diego native and is looking forward to seeing the current wave of prospects thrive in San Diego.